Bill Terry
William Harold Terry (October 30, 1898 - January 9, 1989) was a Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. Considered one of the greatest players of all time, Terry was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1954. In 1999, he ranked number 59 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. The Giants retired Terry's uniform no. 3 in 1984; it is posted on the facade of the upper deck in the left field corner of AT&T Park. Nicknamed "Memphis Bill", he is most remembered for being the last National League player to hit .400, a feat he accomplished by batting .401 in . Playing career Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Terry made his major league debut in with the New York Giants and played his first full season in when he hit .319. Playing his entire career with the Giants before retiring in , Terry posted seven seasons with 100 or more runs, six seasons with 100 or more RBI, six seasons with at least 200 hits, and nine consecutive seasons batting .320 or higher, from through . He also showed some pop, posting three seasons with at least 20 home runs, including a career high of 28 in . Arguably Terry's finest season - and certainly his most historic - was 1930 when he scored 139 runs, hit 23 home runs, had 129 RBI, hit .401, and was The Sporting News NL MVP. He remains the last National League player to have hit .400 or higher (the feat has been more recently accomplished by Ted Williams in the American League). Terry retired with 1120 runs scored, 154 home runs, 1078 RBI and a .341 batting average. He has the current highest National League left-handed career batting average (.341). Managerial career In , Terry also took over managerial duties from John McGraw. He managed the Giants long after he finished playing, compiling 823 wins and 661 losses before retiring in . He led the Giants to three National League pennants ( , and ) and one World Series championship (1933). Baseball honors Terry was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in by the BBWAA, along with Rabbit Maranville and Bill Dickey. In 1999, he ranked number 59 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. The Giants retired Terry's uniform no. 3 in 1984; it is posted on the facade of the upper deck in the left field corner of AT&T Park. Bill Terry is mentioned in the poem "Lineup for Yesterday" by Ogden Nash: }} See also * Top 500 home run hitters of all time * List of major league players with 2,000 hits * List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples * List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs * List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI * Hitting for the cycle * List of Major League Baseball batting champions * List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions * List of Major League Baseball triples champions * Major League Baseball hitters with three home runs in one game References External links * * * *Find-A-Grave biography *The Deadball Era Category:1933 New York Giants World Series Championship Team Category:Major League Baseball players from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:1898 births Category:Irish-American sportspeople Category:National League All-Stars Category:1989 deaths Category:Hall of Fame Category:Managers Category:Player-managers Category:Major League Baseball first basemen Category:New York Giants players Category:New York Giants managers Category:Baseball players who have hit for the cycle Category:National League batting champions Category:Major League Baseball players with retired numbers Category:First Basemen Category:Players